Misery Business
by FlashFiction
Summary: Lavender Brown never really got over Ron but, quite frankly, Hermione doesn't care.  Written for the "SongxPrompt Challenge" at the Harry Potter Challenge Forum.


**Author's Note: **This was written for Violet Scarlet Lily's "The SongxPrompt Challenge" at the Harry Potter Challenge Forum. My given song was Misery Business by Paramore and the prompts were Wavering Candle and Black.

_I waited eight long months,_

_She finally set him free._

_I told him I couldn't lie he was the only one for me. _

_Two weeks and we caught on fire,_

_She's got it out for me,_

_But I wear the biggest smile._

_Whoa, I never meant to brag_

_But I got him where I want him now._

_Whoa, it was never my intention to brag_

_Just steal it all away from you now._

_But God does it feel so good,_

_Cause I got him where I want him now._

_And if you could then you know you would._

_Cause God it just feels so,_

_It just feels so good._

"Congratulations, Hermione."

"Thank you and thanks for coming, Lavender."

Hermione Granger stood at the door of The Burrow, welcoming people as they came inside. She was dressed in light blue, her glossy brown hair tied in knot at the base of her skull. Her brown eyes sparkled warmly as she shook hand after hand and her face glowed in the fading light of the evening. She was happy, extremely happy. Today was her engagement party and she was most definitely the centre of attention. Molly Weasley, her soon to be mother in law, had spent the entire day fussing over her, brushing her hair, taking photographs and commenting at the most unnecessary moments that she was "so proud" of both Hermione and her "little Ronnie". Ron, Hermione's fiance, had chosen to stay behind at their little London flat instead of spending the day at The Burrow (claiming that he couldn't listen to his brother George and his sister Ginny's teasing) but, when he had arrived, he told her that she looked "bloody brilliant" which was extremely high praise coming from him. In fact all the people that now came streaming into the little house commented on how well she was looking and that made her glow all the more brightly.

Nothing was going was going to ruin her mood, not even the arrival of the next guest: Lavender Brown. Lavender was almost the opposite of Hermione when it came to looks. She was small and slightly plump, where Hermione was tall and slim. Her eyes were a pale blue. She had long, wavy, blonde hair that she had tied a black ribbon in. In fact her entire outfit was black. Her expression was sombre and slightly sulky, her mouth curving upwards in a poor attempt to hide a scowl. She looked more like she was attending a funeral than an engagement party.

_I suppose it is a funeral for her,_ Hermione thought. _It's_ _the death of her chances with Ron_.

Lavender and Ron had started a relationship during their sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After a few months Ron's feelings for Lavender began to disappear and, after a while, they left completely. Lavender, on the other hand, had loved Ron with a passionate that was great and unashamedly public. When they had finally split up it was clear that she wasn't entirely over Ron.

Even as Hermione looked at her now it seemed that she still held some kind of candle (be it a wavering one) for Ron. Her blue eyes scanned the room almost immediately and they lit up when they saw him. She hurried off in his direction, leaving Hermione alone at the door.

Perhaps she should have felt sorry for Lavender. Perhaps she should have pitied her. But Hermione couldn't. She only had to think back to the months she had spent bottling up her tears to realize how much she relished in Lavender's pain. It made what she had with Ron feel all the more real. Once she had been in Lavender's position, watching while they were happy, hiding her face in case she betrayed how she was feeling. Never again would she be that girl. _She _had him now. He was hers and Lavender would have to watch from the sidelines. She didn't care if Lavender hated her; it was a small price to pay to have the man she loved.

Ron came over to her and kissed her on the cheek.

"I haven't seen you all evening and it's supposed to be _our_ party!" he laughed.

"Sorry. I just had to show my rock to everyone." Hermione said, moving her hand so the diamond on her finger caught the light.

"Including Lavender, I noticed." Ron grinned.

"That may have been a little uncharitable." Hermione admitted. " But she came in here with a face like a storm and I had to remind her there was nothing she could do about it."

"Hermione Jean Granger!" Ron mocked, "Has anyone ever told you that you can be very mean when you want to be?"

"Ever heard the Muggle song "Winner takes it all?" Hermione said, wryly. "This was a battle and I came out on top."

She looked over at Lavender. She hadn't meant to hurt her, it was just, well, she couldn't help but be happy that Ron choose her, plain old Hermione Granger. She looked at him and smiled.

"I think your mother is calling us." she said.

"Let's pretend we didn't hear her." Ron whispered.

Hermione laughed.

"Really?"

"Right now you're the only Mrs Weasley I care about." he said gently.

As he kissed her again, Hermione didn't think about Lavender. She didn't hear Mrs Weasley cooing or George wolf-whistling. She didn't see Lavender scowl or Ginny smile. All she could think, hear and see was Ron. He was the only one for her and she had him where she wanted him now.


End file.
